makes no difference you can certainly clutchless upshift from st to nd id have to think about it and pay attention to my habits when i was riding to tell you what i do most often i honestly dont know its really easy though there is not much to it load the shifter with a bit of pressure and then lay off the throttle the tranny will pop into the next gear smooth and easy downshifts can be done in this manner as well but that is pretty tricky and i dont recommend trying it if you dont match engine rpm and speed well for the gear you are shifting into you will lock the rear wheel